The present invention relates in general to a steam engine, and more particularly to an improved single acting uni-flow swash plate steam engine.
At present several mechanisms make use of a swash plate to transmit the thrust of a longitudinally reciprocating member, such as a power-driven piston, to a rotary drive shaft or to impart movement to a reciprocating member. It is evident that the transfer of power between the end face of the reciprocating member and the face of the swash plate, which is moving in a plane that is transverse to the direction of movement of the reciprocating member, is an action that is critical to the efficient operation of the machine. Many arrangements for carrying-out this action have been proposed. Rollers are operatively connected between the surface of the swash plate and the reciprocating members in the devices disclosed in the patents to Volliman, Pat. No. 2,027,076; Blum, Pat. No. 2,070,880; Ford, Pat. No. 2,386, 675; and in the French Pat. No. 1.022.570 to Gaston Ladousse. Spherical members are used in the mechanisms of Magill, Pat. No. 2,980,077 and of the British Pat. No. 220,551 to Westad. Other arrangements are disclosed in the patents to Harris, Pat. Nos. 3,572,215, 4,111,102 and 4,167,894.
Applicant has found that impulses can be transmitted between the two members when a thrust element is disposed between the two members that has a simple rocking action in one plane. This rocking action permits the thrust member to have contact with the reciprocating member over a relatively large area whereas several of prior art devices make contact only along a line and, in some cases, they make point contact. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved, power transmission mechanism for a wobble-plate engine or the like, and more particularly to provide a mechanism that employs a thrust member that operates in a single plane with a simple rocking motion.
Another object is to provide a drive mechanism which makes possible a compound engine in which aligned cylinders are rigidly connected together and a single swash plate of uniform thickness actuates the pistons in the cylinders.